5986 SHORT-STORY ~ SLEEP-TALKING ISSUES
VONGOLA BASE, ONE NIGHT BEFORE THE RAID ON MELONE BASE
"Tsk… a cup of coffee and I'd go rest, I guess… Everyone else is already in bed, damn it…" Gokudera mumbles to himself while passing the door of the kitchen after another session of self-training not going the way he'd like.
TILT. But someone else is actually still there.
"Stupid Woman…?" "Zzz…" Only a quiet breathing answers Gokudera's call, and he walks a little closer to look at what has kept her awake until so late at night.
A sewing kit is still out on the table, the various needles and coloured threads scattered around her sleeping silhouette. She must have fallen asleep when fixing the different outfits piled up on her left. Now that Gokudera thinks about it, they sure had some rough training these past weeks, and it's not like their bodies were the only ones to suffer. Tsuna's jeans knee, Yamamoto's kendogi sleeve, Lambo's cow-patterned outfit… they are all scratched and torn here and there, and it's thanks to the girls' support that they can still wear them again afterwards.
TILT. When pushing away from her the potentially dangerous needles, Gokudera notices a familiar purple fabric as well.
His polo… so that Stupid Woman was taking care of it for him when she fell asleep…
Somehow, seeing her sleeping head resting on his clothes makes Gokudera scowl a little, shared between tingling feelings, touched and troubled.
If it was for him, she didn't have to push herself so hard that she would collapse on the table, damn it… Staying up so late for something so small, tsk…
His fingers mechanically finish sorting out the mess of the sewing kit and he closes the vanity neatly before starting to collect the different pieces of clothing to pile them up on the side. But when pulling on the purple polo on which Haru has fallen asleep, a sleepy mumble suspends his hand.
"A… hi… D…o… your… best… ev...eryon…e…"
Gokudera's frown deepens between his eyebrows and he clenches his teeth, once again moved and aggravated at the same time.
"… how about caring for yourself a bit… Stupid Woman…" His rant against the one who can't even manage to reach her bed before collapsing disappears into a murmur as he looks away with a troubled expression, not really knowing what to do anymore.
A couple blinks of fatigue, several aggravated frowns and tsks, and a few hesitating steps back and forth, and he finally gives up and goes back to her. Bending his knees to come at her level, he slides an arm under her legs and the other behind her back to lift her from her sit, before leaving the kitchen as quietly as he can, a bump of his elbow switching the light off after them.
Damn… The base is really quiet, and for once this Stupid Woman is really quiet as well… It feels so damn weird…
Gokudera's green eyes gaze absent-mindedly at the one he is carrying.
Has he really increased his stamina with the recent training or has she always been so feathery… so light and frail-looking… damn, to think such a tiny girl can have such a loud mouth and argue so stubbornly with him when she's awake… how come she can be so damn cute when sleeping…
TILT.
Gokudera's steps stop abruptly in the corridor, shocked by his own train of thoughts.
C-cute… did he just think the word 'cute'… did he seriously damn think she was 'cute'…
His cheeks flush despite himself and his hands tremble around their passenger.
Damn… Why did he just think that… why did he just realise he thought that… his body is reacting like it shouldn't, now… minding the contact with her skin too much… minding the sound of her breathing too much…
Gokudera hurries towards her room with anxious cold sweats running down his spin.
Damn… Why isn't there anybody else around… Why is it so dark and dim and quiet… Why is it almost looking like a bubble of darkness for the two of them only… so aggravating…
The door of Haru's room slides open and Gokudera doesn't even bother to switch on the lights, dashing towards her bed to finally get relieved of his passenger.
TILT. But something is not allowing him to leave after that.
She… crap, she got my tee-shirt… just why did she damn grab onto my tee-shirt…
A couple seconds of battling against Haru's asleep yet strong fingers are enough to make him forget the idea of pulling the fabric out of them.
Tsk…
Gokudera throws his vest to the ground before pulling on his tee-shirt to also get released from it, preferring to abandon it behind rather than staying any longer in this cocoon of darkness trapping him by her side when his senses are all messed up by fatigue and some other disturbing thoughts.
His silver hair ruffles against the blue fabric as his tee-shirt passes above his head. Bust just as he bends over to pull his arms out of the sleeves as well, another hindrance is making him skip a breathe.
Why did she… grab onto… his arm… while clinging to the tee-shirt… For damn Hell's sake, give him a break…
"… l-let me just go, Stupid Woman…" Gokudera-san mutters between clenched teeth, his cheeks beat-red and his mind starting to give up on any quiet resolution.
But as if in answer to his declaration, Haru's grip around his arm tightens and she pulls it to her while trembling, just like a child would hug a pillow when having a nightmare, forcing him to kneel and finally fall sit clumsily on the edge of the bed to reach her level.
"… hi… d-don't… don't go!"
DOKI. Gokudera's heart skips a couple beats.
"… don't go, sob! Tsu…na-san… Goku…dera-san… don't go, sob sob… don't… get hurt… anymore… sob…"
Gokudera's chest tightens painfully and he clenches his teeth, his entire body starting to tremble of frustration.
She… knows they get hurt for each slash on their clothes she's mending… she knows… that they will get hurt perhaps more and more, and yet… and yet she smiles like that every morning, every lunch, every dinner… smiles to them like if they were on a mere little camping trip…
GRAB. Gokudera's second arm closes around Haru, pulling the blanket on her as he bends over to lie down on the side next to her, not planning on letting go until the little caterpillar in his arms won't stop trembling in her sleep.
Damned be this heavy darkness atmosphere making him feel weak to her sobbing… Damned be this hot and itchy sensation at holding her onto his topless chest… Damned be whatever brought them to this era and made her feel so anxious for them…
"… just stop crying, Stupid Woman… because we'll definitely protect you…"